will add much-needed team
leadership during his final
crusade. Senior Dexter Dancs
and junior Brendan Warren
also figure to be offensive
catalysts after disappointing
drop offs last season compared
to previous years.
The answer to more shots
on goal is likely tied to a
group of highly ranked first-
year players. Five of the six
are forwards, and the most
anticipated arrival is freshman
Josh Norris. Selected by the
San Jose Sharks as the 19th
overall pick in the first round
of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft,
he played the past two seasons
with the United States National
Team Development Program
and collected a team-high 51
points in 52 games last year.
Freshmen
Jack
Becker,
Michael Pastujov — brother
of sophomore forward Nick
Pastujov — and Dakota Raabe,
and graduate transfer Alex
Roos — who spent the last four
seasons at Colorado College
— round out the new crop of
forwards.
Pearson
expects
Norris, along with the other
newcomers,
to
spark
the
previously
underwhelming
offense.
Defensemen
Though
Michigan
lost
captain and defensive mainstay
Nolan
De
Jong,
who
now
plays for the ECHL’s Colorado
Eagles, the Wolverines boast
eight veterans controlling the
blue line.
Seniors
Cutler
Martin
and
Sam
Piazza
lead
the
defensemen. After a junior
season
at
forward,
Martin
returns to his comfort zone. As
a freshman, his only full year as
a defenseman, he recorded 15
points and a plus-12 rating, best
among Michigan blueliners and
second among all defensemen
in the Big Ten. Conversely,
Piazza is coming off a career
year with 14 points — six
goals and eight assists — in 32
games and a Big Ten Honorable
Mention distinction.
Freshman Quinn Hughes is
the lone defensive recruit, but
the learning curve shouldn’t
be too difficult for the likely
2018 first-round NHL Entry
Draft pick. The Orlando native
played two seasons with the
United States National Team
Development
Program
—
alongside Norris — and notched
47 points, including 38 assists,
in 56 games. Hughes has already
shown his presence on the ice,
scoring his first collegiate goal
in his first collegiate game
against St. Lawrence.
Junior Joseph Cecconi has
also looked strong coming out
of the gates, tallying three
assists in the exhibition game
and one against St. Lawrence.
Sophomores
Griffin
Luce,
Christian
Meike
and
Luke
Martin, and junior Nicholas
Boka complete the rest of the
defense.
With Martin’s confidence in
returning to his true position,
Piazza’s evolution last year
and Hughes’ track record, the
back line seems destined to
offset the hole left by De Jong
and stay strong against Big Ten
offensive juggernauts.
Outlook
With a strong freshman class
and experienced veterans, it’s
just a matter of time the two
groups mesh within Pearson’s
new schemes. This weekend’s
series against Vermont is the
last opportunity to sync before
Big Ten play commences at
Penn State. If the players catch
their strides at the right time
and execute in the big spots,
especially early in the season,
lofty expectations will be met,
something last year’s team
didn’t accomplish.
Friday, October 20, 2017 // FACEOFF 2017
7B
Big Ten Breakdown: Notre Dame
shakes up conference landscape
Michigan opens up Big Ten
play in State College against
Penn State next weekend, while
other teams have already had
their conference debuts. The
Big Ten is rife with storylines
this season, as the Wolverines
will look to redeem themselves
after last season’s loss to the
Nittany Lions in the first round
of the Big Ten Tournament.
Despite Penn State’s upset
over No. 8 Minnesota in the 2017
Big Ten Tournament semifinals
last season, the Golden Gophers
are looking keen to avenge that
upset this year as coach Don
Lucia boasts an eclectic mix of
talented young phenoms and
seasoned veterans.
Most notably for the Big Ten,
Notre Dame joins conference
play as the seventh affiliate.
The Fighting Irish were a
part of the WCHA and CCHA
from 1971-1981 and 1992-2012,
respectively, two conferences
in which a collection of Big
Ten programs also competed
in. The Daily breaks down the
2017 rendition of the Big Ten
conference.
No. 6 Wisconsin
The Badgers (1-1 Big Ten,
4-1 overall) are coming off a
heartbreaking double-overtime
loss to the Nittany Lions in the
Big Ten Championship game
last season.
However, Wisconsin clearly
is not dwelling in the past, as its
versatile offense is putting on
a clinic, scoring first in all five
of its games this year. Having
their best start since 2004,
the Badgers are challenging
the
preseason
notion
that
Minnesota will be the dominant
force in the conference.
Forward
Seamus
Malone
notched his first two goals of
the season this past weekend,
but of the nine goals Wisconsin
tallied in total, eight Badgers
were
responsible.
Defender
Wyatt Kalynuk also represents
the shut-down defense as the
best shot-blocker in the nation
with 14 blocked shots.
No. 8 Minnesota
The
touted
frontrunners
of the conference, the Golden
Gophers (1-1, 2-2) already had a
chance to seek revenge on Penn
State this past weekend. But
they split the contests, falling
3-1 on Friday, and narrowly
escaping the formidable Nittany
Lion attack Saturday, 6-3.
Forward Brannon McManus
stepped into the spotlight in
Minnesota’s win Saturday with
three goals in the third period,
almost single-handedly saving
the Golden Gophers from early
humiliation.
At the onset of the season,
Minnesota was ranked third in
the nation according to USCHO
RYAN MCLOUGHLIN/Daily
The Michigan hockey team is set for its home opener Saturday night, hoping to defy the odds of winning a talented Big Ten.
See BIG TEN, Page 8B
BY THE NUMBERS
Michigan’s 2016 season
15
Goals scored by forward Tony
Calderone — good for a team high.
21
Points recorded by forward Jake
Slaker — good for a team high.
2.92
Goals allowed per game for
goaltender Hayden Lavigne.
.203
Percentage of power plays
converted.
The Wolverines are undoubtedly underdogs, as they
find themselves surrounded by four teams in the Top 20
ROBERT HEFTER
Daily Sports Writer